In a known manner, cigar lighters are illuminated by a lamp mounted in an illuminating module. The electrical supply to this lamp is effected by means of blades made from conductive material. These blades are on the one hand in electrical contact with the body of the cigar lighter forming an earth. They are moreover either in contact with a tongue of the connector or directly connected to the electrical supply cable. One example of an illuminating module carried by an illuminating ring of a cigar lighter is described in the patent FR 2 758 111.
It is sought to improve the reliability and longevity of the lamps. This is the reason why it was proposed in the patent application EP 819 575 to replace the conventional lamp with a light-emitting diode, generally designated by the English term LED. Diodes in fact generally have a longer service life than conventional lamps, and a lower electrical consumption. However, the arrangement of the diode in the cigar lighter according to this document does not entirely give satisfaction: it does not make it possible to illuminate the ashtray, and leakages of light by reflection on the metallic body of the cigar lighter can be feared. Nor does it appear to afford a great deal of flexibility in its electrical supply method. It also makes it necessary to completely revise the design of the illuminating ring which is associated with it, and its mounting is not very compact. It also makes it necessary to use a manual soldering method for the connection wires between the friction contacts and to place the diode, as well as the resistor and the friction contacts, on a slide before soldering them together in order to produce the electrical circuit.
The aim of the invention is therefore to avoid these drawbacks, in particular by improving the design of the illuminating modules for a cigar lighter. The invention seeks in particular to develop illuminating modules using light-emitting diodes and which are reliable and have a long service life but which are also, for example, more compact, easier to mount in an automated manner, or which require as few modifications as possible in the design of the cigar lighter overall and in that of the fixing ring in particular.